Azure-Fang

I'm a college student, and today is the last day before Spring Break for me.  I've finally finished my first deviation, Samurai Champloo Collage, but it took me a little longer than I thought to put in the negative space on GIMP!   Hopefully I can get back to drawing some more over Spring Break--I've forgotten how fun it is to draw anime/manga. It would be nice to figure out how to scan in the best sketch.  I carefully shaded in the SC collage, but it just doesn't look right on the screen, whatever the contrast/brightness.  Maybe I'll need to make it a little more flat on paper and then put in the shading on the computer?  Pen the outlines?